Safe and Sound
by OathKeeps
Summary: I remember tears streaming down your face, when I said, "I'll never let you go," When all those shadows almost killed your light. I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone," But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight. [ based on Taylor Swift's song 'Safe and Sound' NOT A SONG FIC] SasuNaru rated T for blood and violence.


"C'mon, Sasuke," Naruto wheezed tiredly, heaving Sasuke's limp body higher on his side.

The Uchiha's arm was draped around Naruto's neck, the blond holding onto Sasuke's wrist with one hand and the other was wrapped around the man's waist. They had been surprised with an attack after going on a mission for the hokage. Sasuke was hurt pretty badly, almost unable to walk. He leaned heavily on Naruto, forcing the Uzumaki lad to carry most of his weight. Naruto knew those other shinobi were still looking for them, too, and they couldn't linger too long.

They skid down a hill, nearly tripping both men, but Naruto held fast. A river that led into a lake was at the bottom and the blonde could see a formation of rocks just to his right—maybe they could hide under that. "Hang tight, okay, Sasuke?" the blonde murmured with a dry cough as he set the raven haired male gently down on the bed of grass next to the flowing water.

Naruto waded into the stream, carefully making his way around the rocks before taking one last peek at the slowly breathing Uchiha on shore and diving under the boulder. There was a small pocket of air under the rock, which was what Naruto had been hoping for. He knew they couldn't outlast the other shinobi for long, but he could try to lead them off their trail. Naruto resurfaced and pulled Sasuke carefully into the water and glided him over to the rocks.

"Hold your breath," the blond said as he dunked himself and Sasuke under the water, moving their bodies under their temporary sanctuary. He pushed Sasuke's head up first before he came up for air himself, moving his ear to Sasuke's face. He felt the tell-tale sign of life breeze across his face in a gust of carbon-dioxide and smiled to himself. "Nice work, Sasuke."

A few minutes went by without any sign or sound of their trackers. Naruto was becoming impatient with waiting; he knew they couldn't wait there forever. The water temperature was dropping and Sasuke needed proper treatment before anything serious could pull at him. The blond, fed up with staying under the rock, made a slight move toward the front of the boulder when he heard Sasuke's strained voice echo over the water. "Not yet," he panted. "They know … we're hiding. They're waiting … for us to come out—to slip up."

"Sasuke, you need aid," Naruto replied hastily, giving the Uchiha an annoyed expression.

"I'll be fine for the time being. Just … wait a little while longer," Sasuke said with a bit of difficulty, his voice growing raspy at the end.

Naruto grumbled under his breath, but obeyed. It was just a few minutes later that the duo heard angry shouting vanish into the distance, giving them their queue to leave. Naruto wrapped Sasuke's arms around his neck, making sure the other was holding on before he swam back to the surface. Naruto was just turning around when the raven haired male behind him let out a pained grunt before his body fell limp and started sinking back into the water. Naruto caught the man quickly and wrapped his arm around his neck once again. "Oh, no you don't. I've spent too much time trying to save you only for you to croak in the river."

The blond dragged Sasuke's body through the river and secured him on land before he pulled himself out of the water. With a bit of effort, Naruto brought Sasuke onto his back and started walking. He had to find some kind of shelter asap before the sun set completely and he didn't want to risk hopping through the trees. Sasuke wasn't secure on his back and dropping the male as he was now would probably leave him in a bit more trouble. Naruto was about to give up and just hike it up into a tree when he put Sasuke down to rest his shoulders. He thought he had set the man against the side of a mountain, but there were vines hanging over a hidden path, which Sasuke kind of fell into.

Naruto crawled in after him and grinned, clapping Sasuke on the shoulder though the Uchiha would have no recollection of the action. "Good going, teme."

The path lead deep into the mountain to a small cave and Naruto shuffled Sasuke's body all the way to the back. He laid his sleeping bag down, putting the Uchiha on top of it and folding the cover over the man. Naruto took one last look at the other breathing slowly in and out, then dashed into the forest in search of dry wood to kindle a fire and set up traps around the area. He couldn't treat Sasuke's wounds in the dark, and Naruto wanted to make sure they wouldn't be interrupted throughout the night. Sasuke needed rest.

Despite his hasty gather of wood and defense techniques, Naruto didn't arrive back to the hidden underbrush until the moon was just coming over the horizon. He edged into the cave carefully, one hand free just in case. He glanced at his partner then around the sides of the cave. '**_I don't see or sense anyone_**,' he heard Kurama's voice reverberate throughout his head and his shoulders instantly relaxed. He dumped the wood in the middle of the cave, bringing a stone and a piece of flint he had in his backpack over the wood and clicked them together. A few sparks flew the first couple times he tried, but after one more graze, a dim fire started.

Naruto blew on it carefully, letting it grow as he took in the sweet smell of burning oak. Next, he pulled Sasuke's cocoon closer to the fire for better lighting as he took out his bandages and other first aid supplies. Naruto wasn't the best medic, but this was only a temporary treatment. As soon as they got back to the village, Sakura would be able to heal him the rest of the way—just as long as the Uchiha didn't parish first. The blond shook his head as he wiped a bit of blood and dirt off Sasuke's face. He wasn't going to let his friend go again. Not yet.

Naruto was able to get the Uchiha to drink a bit of water, but other than that, he was without. Sasuke had used the last of his chakra when detecting the men from earlier and now was running on just enough to keep him alive. Naruto lay on the ground beside the other, letting his eyes drift shut as exhaustion overcame him. He was too wound up to sleep, but the relaxation felt fantastic even if it was on a cold, damp and hard ground.

Hours later, Naruto was startled into awareness when one of his traps was set off; distant explosions echoing through the hollow space. The blond was on his feet in an instant, glancing around to the entrance of the cave while he smothered what was left of the fire. He ghosted over to a curve in the path, looking around the wall to the entrance where he watched shadows dance around the vines.

"Don't go," the words were whispered and drifted over the walls of the cave, the source of the noise stirring on the makeshift bed.

Naruto blinked, walking carefully back to Sasuke and knelt beside him. He raised his hand and set it on Sasuke's heart. "Don't worry. I'm right here," he put a bit of pressure on his hand to emphasize his point before he stood up and made a decision.

—

Sasuke woke to a pounding headache and practically his entire body being sore. He groaned as he sat up, looking about the cave for a certain blond headed shinobi. There was no sign of him and it made Sasuke click his tongue. They would have been secure in the cave until morning, but the moron just had to be the hero. With new found ease, Sasuke stood up and staggered his way to the entrance to the hideaway. The sun was up, but only just. He looked around carefully, knowing he couldn't use his sharingan just yet, lest he test his chakra durability. The stench of blood met his nose as he walked farther into the forest, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

There was one body, and then two and then three more, but none of them were Naruto. The fallen shinobi were all just about in the same place yet the only traces of Naruto he found were pieces of his shirt and his headband that must have fallen off in battle. "Where are you, Naruto?" Sasuke mumbled into the air as he picked up Naruto's forehead protector.

A thud sounded behind him just as he stood back up and Sasuke turned to see Naruto on wobbly legs, leaves falling around him as he grinned at the Uchiha. "Here I am," he replied with a wet chuckle. He was covered in blood, but he was alive.

A sigh escaped Sasuke as the obsidian haired man gave a low laugh and a half smile. "I knew you wouldn't be so stupid as to die that easily," the Uchiha glanced at Naruto, giving the blond a raised eyebrow.

:Hey now," Naruto began to retort when he was cut short by Sasuke coming closer and placing their foreheads together and wrapping his arms around Naruto's shoulders.

"I'll never let you go alone again," the Uchiha breathed against Naruto's lips, eliciting a soft sigh from the blond. "Got it?"

Naruto grinned and forced his arms up around Sasuke, letting his body rest against the other's. "Got it."


End file.
